


Resolutions

by weebshit



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood, Childhood Friends, Growing Up Together, Kissing, M/M, Mostly Fluff, New Year's Kiss, New Years, but everything is good in the end, middle school angst, they drift apart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-30 21:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6441052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weebshit/pseuds/weebshit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oikawa and Iwaizumi have always kissed on New Year's. It was something they'd done since they were kids, but what happens when they're older? When it's not so easy to play it off as kids just being kids? Will the tradition continue or will they fall apart?</p><p>(aka this is my first fic and i don't know how to description please forgive me.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Resolutions

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by this post: http://iwachantxt.tumblr.com/post/133570706873/some-random-iwaoi-headcanons-bc-i-have-too-many
> 
> shoutout to raquel for helping me come up with basically this entire plot and to Savannah for coming up with a title ((((:
> 
> also I feel like the beginning's a little vague but it starts off when they're six (and I'm absolutely horrendous at writing childhood POV forgive me).

Iwaizumi yawned, blinking heavily a few times as he glanced over at his best friend. They were hiding beneath Oikawa’s kitchen table as they tried to escape the overwhelming party going on around them. Well-- at least Iwaizumi was trying to escape, Oikawa just went along with him because it was what his friend wanted-- he himself had no problem with the excitement of the party.

“Tooru…” He mumbled sleepily, leaning against the other boy some as several tall figures surrounded their hiding spot, the two of them seeing nothing more than shoes passing by beneath the long tablecloth that shaded them from the outside world. “When can we sleep?” He asked, looking up at his best friend in question.

Oikawa just gave him a pout, pulling away from Iwaizumi and crawling out to see what was going on outside of their hiding place. “It almost time Iwa-chan. C’mon!” He looked at back at Iwaizumi with a grin before grabbing his arm and dragging him out from under the table and back into the busy house.

Time for what? Iwaizumi wasn’t sure. He knew his parents had brought him here because it was New Year’s Eve and they were celebrating. He didn’t know what it meant though-- wasn’t sure just what they were celebrating. However, it seemed Oikawa did and he was quickly dragged away from the safety of their hiding spot and out into the open.

Iwaizumi didn’t have much choice but to follow behind Oikawa as they crawled up onto the couch, Oikawa trying to show him something on the TV that was being blocked by the heads of all the adults already surrounding the screen. Oikawa jumped up and down on the couch, trying to see what was happening and Iwaizumi could hear the speakers blasting a countdown that seemed to be nearing its end.

When the loud voice echoing throughout the room and dulling the chatter of everyone else finally hit zero, the entire room erupted into cheering and smiles and “Happy New Year’s.” Iwaizumi quickly noticed the people in the room kissing, all the couples. He saw his parents among the crowd as well as Oikawa’s, all sharing in the act.

This only furthered his confusion. Why was everyone kissing and cheering? And what was the countdown for? However, it was only a moment before Iwaizumi was pulled from his thoughts by Oikawa bouncing excitedly next to him. Next thing he knew, his best friend had leaned in with lips puckered and planted a kiss on his lips. Oikawa pulled away just as quickly as it had happened with a bright smile, the gap in his teeth showing from where he had lost his first baby tooth a few weeks ago. “Happy New Year, Iwa-chan!” He exclaimed and Iwaizumi couldn’t even find it in him to be upset over the kiss.

“Happy New Year, Tooru.” He replied, a small smile tugging at his own lips as Oikawa grabbed onto his wrist again and dragged Iwaizumi out the back door. Iwaizumi shivered as the cold air hit his skin and looked over at Oikawa in confusion. “Why? It’s col--” Oikawa cut him off.

“Shhh, Iwa-chan. Look.” He pointed up at the sky. Suddenly there was a loud boom as the ground below them shook. Then, the sky exploded into color as fireworks began lighting up the empty canvas of the night sky. Iwaizumi stared up in awe, his hand still held tightly in Oikawa’s as they watched the fireworks show until their cheeks turned red from the biting cold and their fingers went numb.

By the time everyone else had gone into the house, the two of them laid down in the grass-- their sides pressed together as they stared up at the night sky, making no attempt to move. The cold had quickly worn into a numbness and the booming of fireworks above them droned on into a dull vibration. Iwaizumi could feel sleep finally catching up with him as he laid there beside Oikawa who seemed to be as alert as ever.

“Oikawa… what’s New Year’s?” He questioned sleepily and Oikawa turned his head to glance over at the other boy.

“Well…” He began, pondering the idea himself. “Mom and dad said it was when we celebrate the coming of a new year.” He frowned at that definition before deciding on a better one. “It’s what you do with your friends and family… and there’s lots of food and pretty fireworks.” He stated with certainty before turning his head to look back up at the sky.

This seemed to be enough for Iwaizumi and he sighed contently before closing his eyes and letting himself be taken by sleep, subconsciously curling up closer to Oikawa. Upon realizing this, it wasn’t long before Oikawa crashed as well, the two of them curled up together in the grass comfortably.

It wasn’t long before their parents were looking for them, sighing as they found them both outside without a jacket on in this weather.

Iwaizumi stirred from his sleep as he felt himself being lifted off the ground by warm, familiar arms and his mother’s soothing voice. He sighed and opened his eyes long enough to see that Oikawa’s mother was doing the same, his best friend already wide awake in his mother’s arms.

Iwaizumi blinked tiredly and clung to his mother as she slung him over her shoulder, saying her final goodbyes to everyone. Oikawa must have requested to be set down because next thing he knew the other boy was standing behind his mother and staring up at Iwaizumi with a grin.

“You’ll come to our party next year, right Iwa-chan?” He questioned, tilting his head a little as Iwaizumi peered down at him with tired eyes.

He just nodded and gave Oikawa a small smile, which was quickly reciprocated before closing his eyes and falling asleep for good this time.

•

Going to the Oikawa family New Year’s Eve party became tradition for Iwaizumi. The second thing that had become something of a tradition for the two of them was to share a New Year’s kiss each year at midnight, joining in with the rest of the adults in the room who seemed to find it nothing more than adorable childhood antics.

The two of them hadn’t seen each other much since school let out for Christmas break. In fact, they hadn’t seen each other much outside of volleyball practice since their first year of middle school had begun. Iwaizumi didn’t come over for movie night every Friday as he always had and Oikawa didn’t insist on meeting Iwaizumi in his backyard to play astronauts or watch the stars on a particularly clear night.

In elementary school they had been practically inseparable, but things changed once they entered middle school. Iwaizumi maintained his usual cold, stoic personality-- even became more distant from other people, not fitting in with the cliques and drama of middle school. Oikawa on the other hand seemed to thrive off of the drama. He’d grown only increasingly popular with his upbeat, bubbly personality and obvious good looks. He’d even had one girlfriend-- something Iwaizumi realized immediately he didn’t like much. He had gone from being the number one person in Oikawa’s life to dropping significantly on his totem pole of importance.

Iwaizumi pretended like it didn’t bother him, but when his parents announced that night that they were leaving for Oikawa’s in 10 minutes he felt his stomach sink. Things had been awkward between them lately and Iwaizumi didn’t want to face that right now with the weight of their usual New Year’s traditions looming over head.

He didn’t have much of a choice though and next thing he knew he was being dragged into the place he’d always considered a second home, stepping in behind his mother with his arms crossed over his chest and an indignant scowl on his face.

He spotted Oikawa right away, talking with a family member. The same bright smile that seemed to always be present on his best friend’s face was there, and it only made Iwaizumi’s stomach flip in that annoying way it seemed to be doing a lot lately that made him wonder just what the hell was wrong with him.

Iwaizumi’s mother quickly grew tired of her son clinging to her side and she shooed him off with the encouragement of, “Quit being antisocial, Hajime.”

Hesitantly, Iwaizumi made his way towards the boy he wasn’t even sure he could consider his best friend anymore. He kept his gaze on the floor as he approached Oikawa, though a scowl was still present on his lips.

“Jeez, Iwa-chan. You don’t need to look so scary. It’s just me.” Oikawa immediately walked up to Iwaizumi, shooting him that signature smile as if things hadn’t been unbearably awkward between the two of them lately.

Iwaizumi just scoffed, looking up to meet Oikawa’s gaze, though he didn’t say anything in reply.

An uncomfortable silence followed after that and both boys shifted back and forth on their feet nervously. It seemed even Oikawa was at a loss for words.

Iwaizumi eventually looked up from the ground, though upon realizing he didn’t have to look so far a smirk spread across his face.

“I see you still haven’t grown much, huh?” Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow, taking the opportunity to tease Oikawa. Since starting middle school, Iwaizumi had already had his first growth spurt, quickly shooting up and past his best friend who had always been taller than him. Iwaizumi had anything but humble about this, taking every opportunity he had to tease Oikawa on this new advantage he had over him.

Oikawa’s face quickly fell and he let out a dramatic sigh as he looked back up at Iwaizumi. “Iwa-chan why are you so mean to me? I’m gonna be taller than you some day you know!”

He only scoffed, a small smile tugging at his lips as the usual playful atmosphere between the two of them seemed to be returning. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“You wish. Let’s just hope you’re not a shrimp for too much longer. Height is important in volleyball, that’s probably why you can’t seem to even get the ball over the net most days.”

Oikawa only pouted and continued to whine about how mean he was being in some attempt to get Iwaizumi to stop. He did of course after some time, knowing when the teasing had gone on long enough.

Once things had begun to feel normal between the two of them again, Iwaizumi let out a sigh of relief and plopped down on the ground beside Oikawa, their backs leaning against the wall as they quickly devoured the plates of cake and cookies and other treats they had both grabbed, making idle conversation between bites of food.

“What’s your New Year’s resolution, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa suddenly asked through a mouthful of chocolate chip cookie.

Iwaizumi glanced back at him with an irritated look and quickly swallowed his food before speaking up to answer the question. “You know I don’t do those. They’re stupid and no one ever actually follows through.” Iwaizumi mumbled. His voice would’ve been drowned out by the chatter of the room if Oikawa hadn’t been leaning in so close to him. Though at the other boys response, Oikawa backed away dramatically in mock offense.

“Iwa-chan!” He gasped. “Why must you so negative all the time?” Oikawa pouted and turned to face the other male. “I’ll tell you my New Year’s resolution.” He began and Iwaizumi was ready to cut him off there, but Oikawa seemed so enthusiastic he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. “I’m gonna be a better friend to you Iwa-chan!”

Iwaizumi felt himself tense up and he tried not to look as uncomfortable as he obviously was. “You’re… what?” He knit his eyebrows in confusion.

Oikawa looked down, a different, almost ashamed side of him showing through. “It’s just that… I don’t know. I feel like I’ve been ignoring you lately. And I don’t want to! You’re my best friend!” He looked back up at him with a new, more genuine smile and Iwaizumi could feel one almost tugging at the corners of his own lips, though he quickly pushed it away, resuming a neutral expression.

“That’s stupid.” He finally stated. “You don’t need to be a better friend.” Iwaizumi lied, quickly averting his gaze. “I mean… I get it if you don’t wanna be friends with me anymore. I’m not as cool as all your new friends.”

Oikawa just laughed and poked at Iwaizumi’s cheek, though his hand was quickly slapped away. “Of course I wanna be friends with you. We always have been. And we always will be, right?”

Iwaizumi stared back at the other boy, his mouth falling open some at the seemingly simple question. They would always be friends, right? Iwaizumi sure hoped so, but it seemed less and less likely everyday. But it was New Year’s Eve and he decided not to be so pessimistic. So, with a small sigh he finally nodded, his voice coming out a lot more strained than he had been expecting. “Yeah. Of course we’ll always be friends.” He replied, looking away again.

Oikawa either didn’t notice the other boys reluctance or decided not to say anything about it because a wide smile spread across his face again and he clapped happily. “Yay! C’mon Iwa, let’s go watch the countdown!” Oikawa grabbed onto Iwaizumi’s hand as he’d always done in years past, pulling him up and towards the living room where they pushed past the crowds of adults to get a better view of the screen as the countdown seemed to be approaching its last few minutes.

Oikawa eventually dropped his hand and Iwaizumi looked down in confusion. He was not used to Oikawa not wanting to hold onto him in some way. His friend’s clinginess was something that Iwaizumi had grown used to over the years.

He didn’t say anything and simply stood by Oikawa’s side in front of the TV. Though his gaze was focused on the screen in front of him, Iwaizumi’s mind was anything but present. All he could think about was whether or not Oikawa was going to kiss him tonight. He always had, so why wouldn’t he? Right?

Then again, Oikawa did seem… different lately. Since middle school, he wouldn’t hold Iwaizumi’s hand as they walked through the halls, or lay his head in his lap and stare up at him with those wide, brown eyes as he went on about some new special he’d seen on aliens or how he was going to be the best volleyball player in Japan someday…. or do anything he’d done when they were kids.

Iwaizumi wasn’t sure why it bothered him so much. As much as he would yell at Oikawa to get off him or throw insults the other boys way, Iwaizumi didn’t mind. Maybe he had at first, but he’d come to accept it as one of the things that goes along with being Oikawa Tooru’s best friend.

He was pulled from his thoughts as a sudden, familiar “Iwa-chan” rang through his ears and he turned to look at the other boy who seemed to be bouncing with excitement already.

“Iwa-chan!” He repeated now that he had gained Iwaizumi’s full attention. “One minute! Aren’t you excited?” He encouraged, pulling Iwaizumi from his trance and forcing a half smile to find it’s way to his lips. He really couldn’t resist Oikawa’s enthusiasm no matter how much he tried. It was contagious.

“Yeah, of course I’m excited. Why wouldn’t I be?” He replied casually, though it was clear that the anticipation of the countdown was managing to get to even Iwaizumi.

Oikawa just smiled that smile that Iwaizumi was sure brightened the whole room and bounced excitedly on his feet as the last few seconds of the countdown flashed before them.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

The entire room burst into cheering and voices mingled together in a collective “Happy New Year” that was covered by the obnoxious buzzing of those party horns that all the kids younger than them seemed to have.

Oikawa quickly turned to Iwaizumi and the two boys found themselves caught in a stare, neither one of them making a move. They both knew what would normally happen…. but it just seemed too weird to do that this year. Oikawa suddenly shook his head as if to pull himself from his thoughts before quickly leaning in and pulling Iwaizumi into a hug. It lasted no more than a couple of seconds and Iwaizumi didn’t even have time to hug back before Oikawa pulled away with a bright grin and a “Happy New Year!”

Iwaizumi stared at him in confusion for a moment, processing everything that had just happened before he managed to get out a “Happy New Year” of his own, his voice a quiet mumble.

It seemed the other boy either didn’t notice or didn’t mind Iwaizumi’s discontent because next thing he knew Iwaizumi was being dragged outside in a hurry, the moment of hesitation between them seemingly wiped away from Oikawa’s mind. Iwaizumi pulled his arm away as they reached the door and grabbed his coat off the hook, slipping it on. He sighed in disapproval as Oikawa simply walked outside in nothing more than a thin long-sleeved shirt.

As soon as the cold winter air hit his skin, Iwaizumi was glad he had put on a jacket and wrapped his arms tightly around himself as he looked up to the sky. It was exceptionally dark out tonight and the clouds seemed to shroud any light that could be showing through from the moon, leaving the usual vibrant colors of the fireworks dulled.

The two of them sat together in the grass, staring up at the night sky as they’d always done, but things just felt... different.

There wasn’t that same dull excitement that sat in the pit of Iwaizumi’s stomach throughout the night and something about the way the fireworks seemed to get drowned out by the inky black sky only further lessened his excitement. Iwaizumi figured it was because he was getting older… the same reason Christmas hadn’t felt quite the same this year.

He felt Oikawa scooting closer to him, his arms wrapped tightly around himself in an attempt to stay warm. Iwaizumi only rolled his eyes and slipped one arm out of his jacket to drape it over Oikawa’s back, pulling them in closer together in an attempt to conserve body heat.

“You should’ve worn a jacket, idiot. It’s cold.” He commented, not looking away from the fireworks above him. Not because he was particularly interested, but because he wouldn’t dare to look at Oikawa right now.

“Yeah, I realize that now.” Oikawa mumbled, bending his knees and pulling them up to his chest. “Thanks for sharing your warmth though, Iwa-chan.” He gave the other boy a weak smile.

Iwaizumi only nodded a little, his gaze falling to the dark horizon in front of them and his thoughts becoming even more muddled with the new closeness of their bodies.

They stayed this way for a while, Oikawa’s head eventually falling down against Iwaizumi’s shoulder with a yawn. “Hey Iwa-chan…” He began, though Iwaizumi immediately cut him off.

“Why didn’t you kiss me?” He spewed before realizing just what it was he was saying. Iwaizumi quickly looked to the ground, his face heating up though luckily his cheeks were already bright red from the cold wind whipping against his skin.

Oikawa’s eyes immediately shot up, his expression caught between surprise and confusion. He was silent and Iwaizumi closed his eyes in humiliation, wanting to scoot away from his friend but at the same time wanting nothing more than to stay so close to him. So what if the question had been running through his head since the clock struck midnight? He should’ve never said anything.

“What?” Oikawa finally spoke, turning to look directly at the other boy and sighing in disappointment when Iwaizumi refused to make eye contact. He paused again before speaking up, his voice barely above a whisper. “Because it’s weird, isn’t it? I mean, we’re both guys…” He trailed off, looking away himself as he began to pick at the grass nervously.

He wasn’t sure why, but something about the way Oikawa said that bothered him. Like he was so unsure of what he was saying. Like he could hardly believe it himself. Iwaizumi felt his stomach sink and he closed his eyes, not sure why he was bothered by this as much as he was. Oikawa was right after all. They were too old now to just play it off as kids imitating the adults around them. Besides, boys weren’t supposed to kiss boys, right?

That was why his father would always ask him when he’d be getting a girlfriend, being such the “handsome young man” he was growing into. That was why Oikawa had already had a girlfriend… that was why Oikawa didn’t want to hang out with him as much. That was why Iwaizumi felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach every time someone on the volleyball team would ask him which girl he had a crush on, or when girls would flirt with Oikawa when they were together. Because boys weren’t supposed to kiss boys.

He just gulped and looked down at the grass. “Right. Yeah, you’re right.” Iwaizumi paused, not daring to look at the other boy right now. “Let’s just go inside. It’s cold.” He stood up, leaving his jacket draped loosely over Oikawa’s frame and just barely catching a glimpse of the other boys face before walking back into the house.

Iwaizumi sighed as a rush of heat hit his skin and he slumped back against a wall, regretting saying anything at all. Things had just started to feel normal between the two of them again and he had to go and ruin it.

Oikawa walked in a few moments later, his expression solemn as he handed Iwaizumi his jacket before promptly heading upstairs to his room without a word, leaving the other boy alone in a room full of slightly intoxicated adults and noisy kids with nothing more than his less than desirable thoughts to keep him company.

It didn’t feel like New Year’s this year. It didn’t feel right. Didn’t feel the way it had since Iwaizumi was 6 years old, and he had no idea what to do about it.

•

They stopped going to Oikawa’s for New Year’s after that first year of middle school, much to Iwaizumi’s relief. While the two of them had remained friends throughout the remainder of their middle school years, it was never the way things had been when they were kids-- it was more of a mutual respect and an ‘I have to see you every day because of volleyball so we might was well act civil.’

The summer before high school had been an interesting one. Iwaizumi had all intentions of having a Tooru free summer. He’d certainly had enough of the other males constant presence between seeing him every day at practice for the past three years and living two houses down from Oikawa since they were kids. But of course Oikawa had other plans.

The first day of summer commenced with something hitting hard enough against his bedroom window to wake Iwaizumi up. Whatever it was, it hadn’t been small and Iwaizumi hesitantly crawled out of bed to go figure out what the hell had just happened. He was less than surprised when he saw none other than Oikawa standing in his backyard, waving up at him with one hand as his other clutched a volleyball tightly against his chest. Of course

With a groan of annoyance, Iwaizumi opened the window and shot Oikawa a glare with the hopes that it still had the same effect from this far away. “What the hell do you want? It’s 8 in the morning!”

“C’mon Iwa-chan! Let’s go practice!” He tossed the volleyball up into the air before catching it again, shooting Iwaizumi a smile that could counter even his most intense glares. Iwaizumi wanted to punch him.

“No. Get out of my yard.” Iwaizumi replied bitterly, turning as he heard his bedroom door open and his mother walk in.

“Hajime… who are you talk--” She was cut off by Oikawa’s voice, shouting much louder than necessary to reach the two of them at the second floor.

“Iwaizumi-san!” Oikawa called enthusiastically, waving up at her with a wide grin. “Can Iwa-chan come down and practice volleyball with me?” He knew exactly what he was doing-- knew that Iwaizumi’s mother would only encourage, if not force her son to get out of the house and play with his friends. Oikawa also knew full well that Iwaizumi would be more than pissed with him when he was forced out of the house… especially this early. Oikawa had learned a long time ago that his best friend was most certainly not a morning person. But when he weighed his options, an angry Iwa-chan was better than no Iwa-chan.

A smile spread across her lips at the question and Iwaizumi groaned, shooting Oikawa a glare that he hoped effectively conveyed the message of, you’re going to regret this.

As expected, Iwaizumi’s mother was all for him going out to practice with Oikawa, but insisted that the two of them come inside and let her make them some breakfast first.

So, after glaring at Oikawa from across the table for a good 30 minutes and enough pancakes to fill both their stomachs, the two of them headed outside. They ended up in Oikawa’s backyard because his parents had bought him a volleyball net for Christmas that year (he remembered Oikawa’s excited texts even though there was still snow on the ground at the time) and the two of them practiced for hours, the tension that had been there earlier dissipating as they both got lost in the game.

Since starting middle school, Oikawa had improved so dramatically it still baffled Iwaizumi. He knew better than anyone how hard his best friend worked to be the best that he could be, but there was a thin line between practicing hard and overworking yourself and Oikawa crossed that line far too often. Iwaizumi was always there to stop him though-- to talk, or more often than not, punch some sense into him.

Morning quickly wore into afternoon and the early summer sun hung directly above them, leaving Iwaizumi completely exhausted. He had opted to take a break to cool down under the large oak tree that sat proudly in Oikawa’s backyard, though the other boy seemed to have no intentions of joining him.

“Come on Shittykawa, you said 5 more minutes 20 minutes ago.” Iwaizumi had quickly grown tired of watching him repeatedly practice his serve, exhaustion clear on the other male’s face.

Oikawa didn’t answer him.

Iwaizumi clenched his fists as he stood up and stormed over to Oikawa, glaring as he snatched the ball from his hands. “You’re done.” He stated as he clutched the volleyball tightly.

Oikawa’s initial reaction was one of confusion before he realized just what it was Iwaizumi had done, then his expression contorted to one of anger, almost mirroring Iwaizumi’s.

“Give it back Iwa-chan! I’m not done.” Oikawa grabbed onto the ball and attempted to pull it out of Iwaizumi’s hands, but Iwaizumi had always been stronger than him and it wasn’t hard for him to regain control as he pushed Oikawa away in one swift movement.

Once he had regained the object, Iwaizumi turned on his heel, volleyball clutched tightly against his chest as he walked back towards the tree-- back towards shade. Oikawa followed right behind him, his expression melting to one of defeat short after as he trailed behind the other boy in annoyance.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at Oikawa’s stupidity before turning and thrusting a water bottle into his hands. “Drink.” He demanded, knowing the other male had seldom done so in the hours they had been out in this heat. God, why was his best friend such an idiot?

Once Oikawa didn’t look like he was on the brink of passing out Iwaizumi relaxed some, leaning against the tree and closing his eyes.

“You do know you’re an idiot, right?” Iwaizumi mumbled.

To his surprise, Oikawa became defensive, sitting up and staring insistently at Iwaizumi. “Am not! Iwa-chan, do you not realize that we’re going to be starting high school in 3 months at one of the top schools in the area? Don’t you want to do good? Isn’t volleyball important to you?” Oikawa ranted on angrily, throwing his head back against the tree with a dramatic sigh.

Iwaizumi only rolled his eyes and scooted closer to Oikawa, pressing their sides together; despite both of them being hot and sweaty and overall aggravated, neither of them seemed bothered by this small gesture.

“Of course I care, dumbass. But you don’t need to overwork yourself. You’re already incredible at volleyball, I’m sure you’ll be a starter with no problem.” Iwaizumi stated with certainty-- the compliment so honest it even took Oikawa by surprise.

He was quiet for a while after that and Iwaizumi wondered if he’d said something wrong. “I-- uhm…. I guess you’re right.” Oikawa paused and Iwaizumi looked over at him in confusion. It wasn’t like Oikawa to stutter or not be able to find the right words to use. “Thanks… Iwa-chan. I’ll try and take it easy, all right?”

Iwaizumi wanted to smile or at least celebrate the fact that maybe, just maybe, something he’d said had gotten through to Oikawa. He opted instead to punch the other in the arm, though not too roughly, as he wanted Oikawa to know that he really did appreciate him at least acknowledging the suggestion.

“Mean, Iwa-chan! Oikawa whined, though a smile was evident on his face.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and stood up, offering Oikawa a hand. “C’mon, let’s go inside before we melt.” His expression had softened as they made their way into Oikawa’s house, falling into their old ways.

They sat with their backs to the AC for a while, cooling off after an exhausting morning practice.

“Iwa-chan…” Oikawa began hesitantly, glancing over at his best friend. Iwaizumi looked back with question, urging him to continue. “It’s just that.... I know I wasn’t the best friend to you in middle school.” He began and Iwaizumi immediately tensed up, looking away. Oikawa sighed at the others response and looked away as well. “But I want things to be different between us now.” He paused and everything fell silent, neither boy daring to look at each other. “Because out of all the friends I’ve made, you’re the only one who’s actually stuck around.” Oikawa finally finished and Iwaizumi felt his stomach flip in that annoying way again. He glanced back at the other boy, his mouth falling open some as he searched for the right words, something Iwaizumi had always struggled with-- unlike Oikawa who always seemed to know just what to say.

“Of course I stuck around. That’s what best friends do. Even if their best friend is an insufferable idiot.” He looked away, embarrassed, and a grin spread across Oikawa’s face because he knew that coming from Iwaizumi, that was quite the compliment.

“Awww, Iwa-chan does love me!” Oikawa’s smile once again brightened everything and Iwaizumi couldn’t help but smile back, as slight as it was. He loved to see Oikawa smile, it suited him a lot better than that fake scowl he liked to wear or that annoying pout that made Iwaizumi want to punch him.

“Shut up dumbass. I tolerate you.” He clarified with a grin before finally looking away from Oikawa again.

“Whatever you say Iwa-chan~” He mocked in a sing-songy voice and Iwaizumi immediately took the opportunity to punch him in the side, laughing as Oikawa whined and pouted about how mean he was.

Yep, things were finally back to normal-- back to the way they should be.

•

The summer passed by quicker than it ever had and before he knew it, Iwazumi had been thrown into the excitement and confusion of high school. He wasn’t worried about his grades or his popularity or even volleyball most of the time-- he was worried him and Oikawa would drift again once they were thrown back into the daily routine of school.

They had managed to reconcile everything that summer and went back to being the best friends they had been in elementary school, closer than ever now. And as much as Oikawa pissed him off, Iwaizumi was happy to have his best friend back. It had been incredibly lonely without the other boy by his side for the past three years.

Oikawa had promised him things would be different from now on and Iwaizumi had all intentions of holding him to that promise.

Volleyball went well and Oikawa became a regular right away, just as Iwaizumi had told him he would. And while this made Oikawa incredibly happy, it only furthered his dedication to the sport, causing him to practice harder than he ever had before

They kept their pact and stayed best friends as their first year of high school went on. However with Oikawa’s growing success in volleyball he seemed to acquire a fanclub. Girls flocked to Oikawa more than they ever had and it pissed Iwaizumi off a lot more than he was willing to admit.

Oikawa on the other hand loved the attention, as expected. He always told Iwaizumi he wasn’t interested in actually dating any of them and that he wanted to focus on volleyball for now (which Iwaizumi believed less and less everyday with the amount Oikawa would flirt with these girls) but it still bothered him. He’d always been annoyed by the excessive amount of attention Oikawa received on looks alone. Regardless, Oikawa managed to keep his promise and never drifted too far from Iwaizumi

It was a few weeks before winter break that Iwaizumi began to notice something was up with the other male. Oikawa refused to walk home with him after practice as they did everyday and claimed was staying behind to practice more, long after everyone had gone home. He tried to ignore it at first but when the sleeplessness began to show on Oikawa’s face, he had to say something.

Oikawa had been avoiding him a lot and cornering him proved to be a lot harder than Iwaizumi was expecting. He finally managed to get him alone the day before winter break started. They were the last two in the locker room once everyone had cleared out and Iwaizumi stood in the door, blocking Oikawa from leaving, a stern look on his face. “What’s wrong with you?” He asked bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest as Oikawa stared at him in annoyance.

“Nothing.” He replied harshly, attempting to push his way past Iwaizumi though he realized quickly that that wasn’t going to work.

“Obviously something.” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, holding Oikawa back easily. Even if the other boy had passed him up in height since high school, Iwaizumi was still stronger. “Just talk to me, Oikawa. You’ve been acting really weird lately.” He paused. “I’m worried.”

At that, something in Oikawa snapped and he backed away from Iwaizumi, pressing himself against the wall behind him. “N-Nothing is wrong. I promise! I’ve just been feeling a little.... under the weather lately is all!” Oikawa quickly spewed out a bullshit excuse, his voice raising an octave with nervousness. With one painfully fake smile and one swift motion, he had managed to dart past Iwaizumi and out the door, leaving the other male even more confused than before.

Iwaizumi sulked home, wondering what the hell was wrong with Oikawa and if he’d done something to upset the other male. He couldn’t think of anything. He might’ve punched him… or called him a dumbass… but Iwaizumi did that every day. He couldn’t figure out what would cause his best friend to act like this.

He wanted to talk to Oikawa… to figure out what was wrong, but unlike his ever confident best friend, Iwaizumi didn’t like to walk into people’s houses uninvited and demand they talk-- which he was positive Oikawa would have done had their roles been reversed.

 

Iwaizumi didn’t hear from him for the next few days. Not a phone call, not a knock on the door, not even a text to let him know he was alright. He sighed and sent Oikawa a Merry Christmas text, not receiving any answer. _Of course._

He knew he could go over there anytime he wanted-- Oikawa’s parents practically treated him as their own child-- but it didn’t seem right to bother him if he obviously wanted to be alone.

The majority of break passed without so much as a word from Oikawa and Iwaizumi felt himself growing more and more worried.

When it was New Year’s Eve and he didn’t see the usual horde of cars filling up the streets surrounding Oikawa’s he grew curious and decided to send another text to him, hoping more than anything that he would reply this time.

_> No party tonight?.... You alright?_

_> >Nope._

Oikawa’s reply came almost instantly and Iwaizumi was admittedly a little too excited to hear from the other boy again. He was ready to question him why when another message quickly appeared on his screen.

_> >Can you come meet me in the woods… you know what tree. Please Iwa-chan._

Iwaizumi’s heart skipped a beat and he quickly let Oikawa know he’d be there in a minute before slipping on a jacket and shouting to his parents that he was going over to Oikawa’s. He walked back around the house and towards the woods that lied behind both of their houses.

Of course he knew the tree Oikawa was referring to. It was a ways into the woods but Iwaizumi knew exactly how to get there. He had spent a great deal of his childhood in that tree with Oikawa: talking, laughing, pretending. It held good memories, but he couldn’t think about that right now, not with the worry of just what the hell Oikawa seemed so desperate for him to get there for.

Iwazumi reached the tree a few moments later with his hands plunged deep in his coat pockets as the cool night air bit at his skin. He spotted Oikawa right away, perched on one of the lower but thicker and sturdier branches with his back against the trunk; he was staring up at the sky and didn’t even seem to notice as Iwaizumi approached.

“Hey.” He mumbled, chuckling to himself as Oikawa jumped before realizing who it was.

A sad smile spread across Oikawa’s lips upon making eye contact with Iwaizumi. “Hey… Iwa-chan.” He didn’t even try to sound like his usual, upbeat self which caught Iwaizumi off guard and he quickly shuffled his way up into the tree, sitting across from Oikawa on the same branch.

“What’s up?” He questioned nonchalantly as he stared back at Oikawa. He looked awful-- something Iwaizumi couldn’t recall ever thinking about the boy across from him. Despite having been out of school for over a week now, Oikawa still looked like he hadn’t slept in days-- either that or he had been crying, judging by how red and puffy his eyes were.

“I’m sorry…” He mumbled, not making eye contact with Iwaizumi; his knees were pulled up against his chest and his eyes were downcast. In that moment Oikawa looked so… young, so vulnerable. It was like he was looking at the Oikawa he’d known when they were kids.  
“Sorry for what?” He questioned right away, wanting nothing more than for Oikawa to look him in the eye right now.

“For running off on you in the locker room the other day.” He sighed, leaning his head against the trunk of the tree up and staring at the sky again. Iwaizumi assumed he was watching the stars. That’s what Oikawa always did when he was sad. He remembered times when they were kids where he and Oikawa would lay in the grass and watch the stars for hours, Oikawa going on  
about all the different solar systems and planets and stars and-- of course-- aliens.

Iwaizumi just shrugged, his gaze intent on Oikawa. “Don’t worry about it.” He pretended like it hadn’t bothered him and fell silent again, trying to think of what the proper thing to say at a moment like this would be.

 _Are you okay?_ Obviously he wasn’t. _Do you wanna talk about it?_ That sounded too demanding. _Did I do something wrong?_ Was he selfish for even thinking that this could be about him?

Iwaizumi was quickly pulled from his thoughts as Oikawa spoke up finally, his voice coming out choked and weak-- weaker than Iwaizumi could ever remember it sounding.

“My parents are getting a divorce.”

The words rang in Iwaizumi’s ears for a moment and he felt the lump in his throat growing, making it near impossible for him to speak. He knew it couldn’t hurt him like it hurt Oikawa, but it still stung. Oikawa’s parents had practically raised him as well as his own. The thought of them separating-- of not being the happy family they’d always been-- made Iwaizumi’s stomach sink.

“I’m…” He paused, ready to say he was sorry but knowing that was probably the last thing Oikawa wanted to hear right now. He didn’t say anything. Instead, Iwaizumi scooted in closer to Oikawa, sitting right beside him on the rather thin branch that could hardly accommodate the two of them. This had been a whole lot easier when they were kids. Regardless, he wrapped an arm around the other male and pulled him in close to his side. “Hey…” He frowned as he noticed Oikawa tearing up. “It’s gonna be okay… I’m sure things will work out.” Iwaizumi did his best to console his friend as a few, lonesome tears began falling down Oikawa’s cheeks.

That was all it took for Oikawa to break the rest of the way, tears spilling down his cheeks and his breath coming out in gasps as he buried his face in Iwaizumi’s chest. It took him by surprise but Iwaizumi reacted instinctively, wrapping his arms around Oikawa and running a hand through his hair soothingly. His voice was soft as he whispered anything he could think of that might calm Oikawa down.

He knew there wasn’t much he could do though-- that sometimes you just needed to cry-- and he assured Oikawa that he wouldn’t be going anywhere and that he could let it all out.

After some time, Oikawa did calm down. His breathing returned to normal and he wiped the tears from his face. Iwaizumi let go of his grip on him and stared back at the other boy, his expression unusually soft in contrast to Oikawa’s completely distraught appearance.

Oikawa finally spoke, leaning back against the tree with a shaky breath. “It’s just been… so cold in the house, ya now? My dad is still there… but they don’t talk. They hardly even talk to me and when they do they’re both just so... stern.” He paused and Iwaizumi stayed quiet, wanting to make sure he was finished before speaking up. “I’m sorry for keeping this from you…. I’m sorry for worrying you… I’m sorry for ignoring you.” He went on and Iwaizumi quickly shushed him, pulling Oikawa in closer to him again.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry.” He stared down at Oikawa whose head was now resting against Iwaizumi’s chest, staring back up at him with those big, round, teary eyes. His hair was messy-- which was a rare occurrence-- and his face was red from crying. To put it in short, Oikawa was a mess. Yet Iwaizumi was thinking anything but that. All that was running through his mind was how pretty Oikawa looked right now; his eyes sparkled with tears and his lips were parted ever so slightly and he just looked so natural-- like he wasn’t trying at all, and it was so unusual for the overly dramatic boy Iwaizumi had grown to call his best friend.

He quickly tore his eyes away from the brunette and hoped that he hadn’t noticed. Iwaizumi looked up at the sky through the tree branches that were above them and swallowed hard, trying to clear the lump in his throat. “Oikawa…” he began, not looking back at his friend. “I know you’ve been hurting and all, and human interaction has probably been the last thing you wanted… but I just want you to know that I am your best friend and you can talk to me whenever you need to. About anything.” He stated seriously, glancing back down at Oikawa who quickly looked away, his expression read embarrassed though Iwaizumi wasn’t sure what for.

“Thank you… Iwa-chan.” He sighed before looking back up at him with a newfound determination in his eyes. “There is something else I wanted to talk to you about.” He locked eyes with Iwaizumi and his expression grew serious. “It’s kind of the reason I’ve been avoiding you for the last few weeks…”

Iwaizumi’s stomach flopped and he gulped again. “Go on.” He said quickly, his mind racing as soon as those words had left Oikawa’s mouth. So there was more to this than just Oikawa’s parents. Had he really done something to upset him and he can’t remember?

Oikawa looked away at that, shifting uncomfortably in his position of practically laying on Iwaizumi. “Well… it’s just that...” He paused and Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. Was Oikawa Tooru at a loss for words? “Remember that thing we used to do when we were kids… where we’d kiss on New Year’s every year?” Oikawa went on awkwardly and Iwaizumi felt his heart crawl into his throat.

“Uh… yeah I remember. What about it?” He questioned nervously before throwing on an indignant frown because why the hell was he so nervous anyways? It was only Oikawa after all, the same dumbass he’d known since before he could walk. The same dumbass who suddenly looked really pretty for reasons Iwaizumi couldn’t seem to understand. But he was most certainly not going to be nervous over Oikawa, he decided.

It seemed Oikawa hadn’t come to the same conclusion as him and his voice nearly cracked when he tried to speak up again. Iwaizumi laughed at him and Oikawa frowned, regaining himself. “As I was saying. I just think…. Maybe we should try it again.” He finished and Iwaizumi knit his eyebrows together in confusion.

“You think we should… try again? As in kiss again? You want me to kiss you?” Iwaizumi laughed a little and Oikawa’s face fell as he quickly sat up off of him.

“Yes! That’s what I said! What’s so funny?” Oikawa pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Iwaizumi. He only laughed some more.

“You’ve been avoiding me… because you have a crush on me?” Iwaizumi smirked as he’d managed to piece everything together. He wasn’t sure what exactly was so funny to him. Maybe it was because he’d realized then that he’d probably felt the same for a while now and it felt good to hear the words that had been echoing through his mind leave Oikawa’s lips. The past few weeks without Oikawa had been painfully boring and worrying and he’d realized just how much he needed this dumbass in his life.

“Yes! Okay?” Oikawa declared in exasperation, running a hand through his already messy hair nervously. “I don’t see what’s so funny.” He grumbled, staring down at the ground from where they were perched in the air. Iwaizumi stopped laughing, though a smile still played at his lips.

“Well why didn’t you tell me?” He questioned, ceasing laughing entirely now as he stared at Oikawa.

Oikawa looked back up, meeting Iwaizumi’s eyes before quickly looking back down at his hands. “I’ve been kind of… confused.” He admitted nervously and Iwaizumi cocked his head, encouraging the other boy to go on. “I could have any girl in the school and I don’t want any of them.” He spoke softly, avoiding eye contact at all costs. “Even when I ‘dated’ in middle school--” Oikawa paused to add air quotes around the word before continuing. “I just didn’t really like it.” He shrugged and Iwaizumi nodded, knowing full well what Oikawa meant: he’d never taken much interest in girls himself.

“So why are you confused? Sounds to me like you’ve figured it out. You don’t like girls, right?” Iwaizumi shrugged, trying to understand what had Oikawa so distraught.

“Well not exactly. I mean, I think girls are pretty and they’re nice and stuff…” He mumbled awkwardly, glancing up at Iwaizumi every now and then as he seemed to be struggling to get something out. “But I like you a lot more.” He finally spewed, his voice nearly breaking at the end.

Iwaizumi laughed a little again but quickly stopped himself, not wanting to upset Oikawa again. “Well if it means anything, I think you’re way prettier than any girl.” Iwaizumi stated honestly, a blush quickly heating up his face because, God, that was probably the cheesiest thing he’d ever said. And to Oikawa nonetheless.

Oikawa’s eyes quickly shot up and a smile so radiant lit up his face that Iwaizumi decided he’d call him pretty everyday for the rest of his life if it meant he could see that smile. “You mean it, Iwa-chan?” He looked so happy Iwaizumi wouldn’t have been able to deny it if he wanted to.

“Yes, dumbass. You don’t gotta look so happy, it’s not like you don’t know you’re attractive.” It took everything in Iwaizumi to not smile back but he managed to keep a straight face, looking away from Oikawa in embarrassment.

Oikawa just stared at him and smiled until Iwaizumi had to look up at him. He rolled his eyes but couldn’t help as a grin crept onto his face. “Sooooo…” Oikawa scooted in closer to him, pulling out his phone to show Iwaizumi the time.

_11:58 pm. Shit. Oikawa had totally planned this hadn’t he? That idiot._

“Does this mean you’ll give me my New Year’s kiss Iwa-chan?” Iwaizumi could practically hear the pout in his voice as Oikawa stared up at him with the biggest brown eyes he could muster. Oh yeah, Oikawa knew damn well just how attractive he was-- even when he looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks and had been crying about 15 minutes before.

Iwaizumi gulped because-- as much as he hated to admit it-- this asshole did have some effect on him and he didn’t think he could deny him a kiss if he wanted to (which he certainly didn’t). But at the same time Iwaizumi was so frozen with nerves he couldn’t even think of a proper response. He’d never kissed anyone besides Oikawa, and that had been when they were kids-- that had been innocent, this was different. After what was an embarrassing amount of time Iwaizumi let out a choked “yeah.”

 Oikawa giggled and scooted even closer to him, their faces just inches apart. “Aw, Iwa-chan is nervous.” He teased, staring back at Iwaizumi who suddenly looked ready to punch him for such an obvious and embarrassing statement. And, God, why was Oikawa just staring at him like that? Was he gonna do it already? Was he waiting for him to make the first move? Because Iwaizumi wasn’t sure he could deal with that.

He averted his gaze, though Oikawa held strong. “Wait for it, Iwa-chan.” He held up one finger, glancing up at the sky and within a few moments the loud burst of fireworks exploded in Iwaizumi’s ears and next thing he knew Oikawa’s lips were against his own.

He couldn’t remember much from when they had kissed as kids but it was nothing like this. They had been innocent pecks-- kisses shared by best friends. Everything about this felt different. The way Oikawa’s lips parted just slightly as his hand came up to cup the side of his face. The quiet hum that left his lips and reverberated against Iwaizumi’s, pulling him from his initial shock enough to actually kiss back. The loud booming of fireworks around them that was quickly drowned out to nothing more than dull vibrations as Iwaizumi’s focus was directed 100% on Oikawa. Everything just felt right.

When it finally happened, Oikawa was the one to pull away, pausing long enough to stare at Iwaizumi before uttering the ever familiar “Happy New Year, Iwa-chan!”

Iwaizumi smiled and stared at him, playing with the ends of Oikawa’s hair before leaning in and pressing another quick kiss to his lips. “Happy New Year, dumbass.”

Oikawa pouted and sat back off of Iwaizumi. “Mean! Can’t I at least get a Happy New Year Oikawa? I love you Oikawa? What would I do without you Oikawa?” Iwaizumi snorted, but considered his options for a moment, tilting his head to the side before deciding on the even more sarcastic. “Happy New Year, Tooru.”

Oikawa looked away, a blush quickly spreading across his cheeks and he quickly sat back down beside Iwaizumi, curling up close to his side. “Whatever.” He mumbled and Iwaizumi smirked, deciding he’d make it his goal to embarrass Oikawa more often.

Once they could both tear their attention away from each other, they were able to realize and fully appreciate the fireworks that were still going off around them.

The night sky was crystal clear: not a cloud in sight. They could see every star in the sky, just the way Oikawa liked it and the fireworks only made the view more captivating.

As brilliant as the fireworks were, Iwaizumi couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of the other boy for more than a couple of seconds and eventually gave up on watching they sky all together.

Oikawa was far more beautiful. The effects of the stress he had been experiencing lately were still evident on his face, though there was a new glow to him-- like nothing could bring him down in that moment. He looked how he did when he hit his serve just right, or when he’d ramble on about aliens, or when Iwaizumi would bring him surprise milk bread. He just looked so content in that moment, the bright colors of the fireworks reflecting off of Oikawa’s skin and lighting up his face.

Suddenly he turned to Iwaizumi, their eyes meeting. “It’s like when we were kids, yeah Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asked with a smile and Iwaizumi immediately smiled back, running a hand through the other boys hair gently, his face unusually soft as he held Oikawa close to his side.

“Yeah… it is. Like when we were kids but better.” He paused as Oikawa raised an eyebrow in question. “It’s better…” He elaborated, “because I can do this whenever I want.” He leaned in and pressed another kiss to Oikawa’s lips, the other boy immediately melting against him and their lips melded together even easier this time.

They pulled away and Iwaizumi smiled, relaxing his back against the tree again as the cool night air filled his lungs . His thoughts were nothing but a muddled mess of _Oikawa_ and he sighed, returning his gaze to the sky and remembering all the times they’d stared up at the same sky together-- all the memories like this they’d had together, and all the years they’d known each other. It only seemed natural for them to be together like this; it felt like it’d always been this way.

Just then, Oikawa seemed to voice Iwaizumi’s exact thoughts as he spoke up. “So… does this means I can finally call you my boyfriend without you punching me?” He questioned, keeping his gaze on the sky. Iwaizumi grinned a little and considered the question.

“I suppose it means… I’ll punch you a little less hard if you call me your boyfriend.” Oikawa giggled and curled up even closer and Iwaizumi couldn’t help but laugh a little as well.

“Coming from you… I’ll take it.” Oikawa decided, his voice soft but light, as if his worries had vanished, if only temporarily. He closed his eyes and Iwaizumi felt him relax against his chest.

Everything was right. Everything was as it should be.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on insta for more gay shit @iwa.chan


End file.
